SINDY Point of View
Darkness pressed in from every side, broken only by the faint glow of a single lantern swinging from the ceiling. My side ached sharply beneath the bandages, each movement sending a jolt of pain through my ribs. I forced my eyes open, straining to see anything beyond the shadows. The pain from earlier was now worse.
A voice cut through the silence, smooth, deliberate, and filled with a strange authority.
“You’re awake,” it said.
I froze. Fear prickled along my spine, instinct screaming that this was not just another guard or servant. Slowly, I turned my head toward the sound.
A tall figure emerged from the corner, cloaked in shadow. His face was sharp, commanding, impossible to ignore. Recognition struck me like a blade: Prince George’s uncle. The man who held th
